Apparatus for the production of lubricating oil



Nov' 22, 1932. 1 :H. T. DARLINGTON 1,383,346

APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF LUBRICATI NG OIL Original Filed May 26. 1 92? Patented Nov. 22, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOMER '1. DARLINGI'ON, OF WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE v ASSIGNIENTS, '10 OIL COB PORATION OI AMERICA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE arrmrus ron. 'rnn raonucrron' or hcaarca'rme OIL Original application med Kay 26, Hi7, Serial No. 194,282. Divided and this application filed September 10,

1928. Serial No. 804,859.

An object of my invention is to, take out of the oil'during the process of manufacture carbonmore readily se arable to the end that there willbe less car on to deposit, and, therefore, less deposited while the oil is being used as a lubricant.

An object of my invention is to a lubricating oil less liable to deterioration under conditions of use than any now available. Another object of my invention is to remove from the lubricating oil during its manufacture, or stabilize in it, component parts of it of minor value as lubrlcants, which tend to cause deterioration. 7

Another object of my invention is to produce a lubricating oil of low volatility and superior pouring quality; that is, having a low pour test. Another object of my invention is to provide a means for reducing standardized lubricating oils of de nite, predetermined quality and character as a direct result of distillation and allied operations without subsequent manipulation.

Another object of my invention is to produce lubricating oil of the character andin the manner stated from deteriorated oil, such as oil drained from automobile crank cases, and those qualities and kinds of etroleums that are usually deemed unfit o the purpose.

Another object of my invention is to ,provide an apparatus that can be readily and effectively used in the practice of my said processes. I I F It is well known that lubricating oil when used where it is subjected to heat approaching its volatilization point is darkened by.

roduce oil due to contact with the metal and to frictional heat evolved not only by the movement of the metal parts, but also and perhaps primarily by the movement of the molecules within the oil itself. My observation and experience convinces me that this deterioration in lubricating oil is to a la-rge'extent due to cracking during such use; that the change is confined to certain relatively unstable fractions of the oil, the major part of the lubricant remaining unchanged.

' In the distillation of lubricating oil stocks, as usualy done, these minor constituents which materially limit the useful life of the lubricant distill and condense with the more useful and desirable constituents. I have found that I can treat lubricatingoil stock prior to or during distillation with certain colloidal or quasi-colloidal materials, and by holding them dispersed through the oil during distillation or other treatment remove or hold back and prevent the volatilization in large part of constituents undesirable in lubricating oil, and particularly of free or easily separated carbon.

In carrying out the art of m invention, I take lubricating oil that has can used, or

crude oil, or heavier fractions thereof, or residue, or mixtures of some or all of them,

and intimately commingle the oil stock thus provided with colloidal or uasi-colloidal material, such as bentonite, entonite and water, hydrated lime, sponge iron, siliceous residue of acid treated clay or serpentine, or mixtures of salt water and clay, or colloid material having metallic coatings, all of which materials or mixtures thereof are hereinafter, for conve ience sake, referred to as adsorptive additio agents.

I maintain the colloid addition agent in sus ension and incorporation in the oil and desirably colloidally dispersed by mechanically induced circulation and agitation, while I heat it to a temperature above that at which I subsequently distill it. The temperature I so use may vary and may be any temperature between 500 and 850 Fah., both inclusive, and I may carry out the treatment at normal or higher pressure, either in the same vessel or apparatus in which I subse- Q per ormed under super atmospheric pressure stock during pretreatment,

and at a temperature which will vaporize the more volatile constituents without vaporizing the major portion of the oil stock, I not only remove from the oil stock the free carbon and that which is more readily dissociated, but I vaporize and, as a rule, remove some components of my materials which aremore.

volatile and I stabilize others by combinations edected when carbon is disassociated, as alread stated. Thus I render the lubricating oi subsequently formed from material so treated less likely to form and deposit carbon. I also decrease the volatility of such lubricating oil and minimize it to an appreciable degree to the deteriorating effects 0 the conditions under which'it is used.

One deteriorating influence of considerable importance in the use of lubricants is the dust and dirt, and the fine particles of metal ground from bearings that find lodgment in the oil. These, as has already been intimated, attack certain components of the oil and causedeterioratin changes in them. By dispersing colloid ad ition a ents in the oil subject itto conditions akin in effect, though they may differ in the characteristics, to those prevailing when the lubricating oil is in actual use, and removin or transformin those components that rea il deteriorate, I thus reduce to a minimum t e possibility of the oil deteriorating in actual use. The colloidal addition agent in connection with the heat treatment may be employed to coagulate colloidal carbon usually found in still residues and heavy oils. The change of state causes the oil to evaporate at lower temperatures and results in larger proportion ate production.

There are usually in petroleum hydrocarbon compounds which when'they remain, as they usually do, in lubricating oil, form gums andresins which when the oil is used as a lubricant are deposited. on bearings and .other parts and are very objectionable. I

have found that air or oxygen charged into heated oil stock containing a dispersed colloid addition agent acts upon the gum-and realm-forming compounds in such manner, apparently by oxidation, that thereafter 0 ectlonable gums and res ns are not formed or deposited, and I have found that the Having removed, held back or transferred the undesirable constituents in my lubricating stock in the manner set forth, I proceed to evaporate and ,fractionally, or selectively condense such portions of the lubricating stock as I may desire. I may or ma not add fresh colloidaddition agent to t e oil before or during distillation, and enerally I prefer to do so. I also preferab y, though.

not invariably, use heat for vaporizing lower than that used in the first treatment, so that any material held by the colloidal addition agent will not breakup chemically and their products be found 7 in the fractions condensed.

To accom lish distillation at a low temperature, I eat, distill and condense in a vacuum. I am aware that distilling and otherwise treating oil in vacuum is old and well known, and has been practiced in the art for many years. I refer to use a vacuum such as has been, used in actual practice for many years as distinguished from a theoretical vacuum or one that might be practical in laboratory work, but not under actual roductive working conditions. I do not,

owever, restrict myself to a vacuum of any particular degree.

Other features of my rocess will be made clear in connection with the description which follows of an apparatus which I have invented for use in practicin this process. While this apparatus is pecu iarly adapted to the process, its use is not confined to the process, and the process may be with any apparatus adapted or a aptable to its various operations. 7

In the drawing: Y

A stitable combination of a paratus is shown somewhat diagrammatically.

This is a division of m pending application, Serial No. 194,282, ed'Ma 26, 1927, for process andapparatus for t e production of lubricating oil.

Reference Figure 2 shows a chamber in which oil stock, together with one or more colloid addition agents, is. agitated and mixed by paddle 5 and thorou hl commingled. The oil stock and the co 01d addition agent or agents are introduced to'the chamber 2 through the pipe line 1, or the like, by a pump*(not shown) or b other suitable means, and are circulated for eating 7 by a pump 4 through the coils. 3 located in a rformed call a colloid mixer, connected by the transfer line 11 with the settling chamber 7. It

has a stirrer of any suitable type, shown as and has in connection with it a tubular circulator includin a pump 19, or other suitable means of circufiting liquids from it at a point below the variable liquid level therein 22 through the coil 18 heated by a furnace as shown, or other suitable means, and returning the liquid to the vaporizing chamber 16 at a point above said distribution plates 21. v A pipe or similar means 1 for the introduction of oil stock and colloid addition agent is provided intermediate the pump 19 and the heating means 18. Valve controlled means 17 is provided for removing carbon and sedimentary deposits, and a pipe or the like is provided for the introduction of air for heating gum and resin forming compounds when oil stock that has not been preheated is used, and an agitator 34 for use when addition agent is introduced to the vaporizer 16 through the means 1'.

The vaporizing chamber 16 is connected by suitable vapor outlet means 23 to a controlled selective dephlegmator 24. This dephlegmator 24 contains selective se arator plates 26 of such number as may be esired, and pipes or the like and 25 for the selective withdrawal of condensate, two or more in number, according to the number of cuts in finished products desired. The withdrawal pipes 25 and 25 are each controlled by a valve, which may in turn, if desired, be thermostatically controlled;

Connected with the dephlegmator 24 by connections 27 and 28 are a mercury vapor pump, or an inspirator 29, and any other suitable means 30 for creatin a vacuum, with a valve controlled pipe 31 or discharging remaining gaseous material, and o tionally additional means for coolin 32 with an outlet 33 for water may be prov1ded at any desired point. In practical operation and referably under super atmospheric conditions, as

before stated, I introduce oil stock. which it is desired to treat intermixed with one or more colloidal addition agents (as already defined) through 1 into chamber 2'and immediately pass the mixture through the pump 4 and the heating coils 3 and, after raising it to the desired temperature, return it to the chamber 2 where it is thoroughly stirred and commingled. Ordinarily the mixture is circulated for heating only once, but the operation may be repeated one or more times if deemed desirable or necessary.

From the chamber 2 the mixture passes through the pipe line 6 to the settler 7. It is left there for a suflicient time to permit sedimentary matter to precipitate, and I may draw ofi heavier sedimentary deposits through the pipe 8, provided for that purpose. I may and, if the oil stock used contains appreciable amounts of gum and resin forming compounds, I do admit air through the pipe 10 to the settling chamber 7 to treat such compounds. The heating of the oil stock in the coil 3 is made suflicient todrive out from the body of the oil lighter con-. stituents and to crack more easily decomposed fractions, and as my purpose is to remove such of these as are not by treatment in the.

colloidal addition agent has been such that enough active carbon free colloidal addition agent is not left in the oil stock to effectively treat it, I may introduce more colloidal a dition agent to the oil in the mixing chamber 12 through suitable pipe or other means 14, and I thoroughly-disperse the a ent so added and any already in the oil by t e agitating means 13 provided for the purpose. From the chamber 12 I pass the oil stock w'th dis ersed colloidal addition agent through t e pipe line 15 to the vaporizer 16.

The treatment up to this point I designate pretreatment. For it I may substitute operations accomplishing similar results or other operations for preparing the oil stock in any manner deemed desirable, or I may under some conditions and using some kinds of oil stock charge the oil stock into the vaporizer without any pretreatment other than the dispersion in it of colloidal addition agent,

I may cut out, either by the valve in line 15, or by dispensing with it entirely, all or any partof the apparatus 1 to 15, both inclusive, anterior tothe vaporizer 16, and may accomplish such dispersion and any other they pass upward in the vaporizing chamber 16 also drop back onto the distribution plates 21 and into the main body of oil. The vapors from the vaporized 16 pass through transmission means 23 to the dephlegmator 24 for cooling and separation.

I prefer to use a dephlegmator placed horizontally or nearly so and equipped with means for regulating and'controlling the rate and degree of cooling and for dephlegmating and separating products selectively. I have invented a dephlegmator peculiarly effective and easily adapted for so selectively dephlegmating and separating products for which an application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 186,459 is now pending. While I prefer to use this dephlegmator, any means of cooling and separating that will admit of separating lubricating products of varying distinctive characteristics independently and selectively may be employed,

.I will, however, now outline some of the features of any dephlegmator or kindred apparatus which I deem desirable to accomplish the desired purpose and which differentiate it from those heretofore used. In the first place, the dephlegmator should have as many communicating zones or sections progressively arranged as there are distinctive products or cuts, so-called, to be made, and each side section or zone should have means for withdrawing the product thereof. In the drawing, I have, for purposes of illustration,

divided the dephlegmator 24-into two sections or zones by division plates 26 and have provided an outlet 25 and, 25' for each zone or section.

Means should also be provided for pro'-.

gressive positive accelerated cooling to the end that there may be essential differences between the lubricating oil produced in the several sections or zones. The mechanical means of doing this I do not here describe for the reason that they are features of the invention for which I have applied for Letters Patent Serial No. 186,459, filed April 25, 1927. as aforesaid.

While I may regulate and control the withdrawal of products from the several zones of the dophlegmator by hand operated valves or other like means, I prefer to operate, regulate and controlthe withdrawal of products from the dephlegmator by suitable thermostatic means, using any one of the thermostatic devices known and used in the arts that may be ada ted to the purpose. Having determined the heat ranges of any desired series of products I can thus automatically separate and withdraw them.

The descriptive outline I have iven above of the partlcular means of dep legmating and separating is not intended to limit in any manner m invention either of process or apparatus, ut merely to indicate effective means of operation.

' Ihave found that certain constituents of lubricating oil as ordinarily made, other than parafiin, which are easily cracked raise the pour test of the oil. These constituents,

which are detri-ments rather than aids to lubrication, I remove during, pre-treatment performed as described, and in this manner I produce a lubricating oil with a lower pour test.

I may use my colioidal addition agent in a dry form, but'I prefer to wet it with water. I find that water thus used is itself substantially in effect a colloidal addition agent.

lVater when added to hot oil by itself in any appreciable quantity cools the oil and tends "to halt and temporarily hinder reactions, but

water distributed over the surface of a solid finely divided addition agent when added to hot oil is practically instantly evaporated and transformed to nascent steam and materially aids the reactions taking place in the but it seems demonstrable that there is some disassociation of water molecules that provides hydrogen for the production of desireating oils comprising a vaporizing chamber containing a plurality of distribution plates to provide extensive evaporation surfaces,

means for introducing oil stock and dispersed adsorptive agent thereinto, means for inducing repeated circulation of .said material through a heater, means for introducing adsorption addition agent into the circulating material before same passes through the heater, means for withdrawing disassociated carbon and sediment from the vaporizing chamber, a mechanical agitator within said chamber, a dephlegmator in open communication with the vaporizer, said dephlegmator having a series of separately communicating rogressively cooler zones, and suitable means for the withdrawal of products separated from any of said zones, and means for creating a vacuum in the dephlegmator and vaporizing chamber.

2. In an apparatus for treating liquid hydrocarbon oil, the combination of means for heating oil mixed with adsorptive addition agent under pressure, means for separating lighter products from the heated oil, means oil. Just how it does this is not entirely clear,

for adding an additionaladsorptive agent to 3 the residual oil, means for heating, distilling and condensing said residual oil while subjected to vacuum, and means in the distilling means for mechanically agitating liquid oil and adsorptive addition agent, and means for withdrawing unvaporized oil.

3. Apparatus for the production of lubrieating oils comprising a vaporizing chamber containing a plurality of distributing plates to produce extensive evaporation surfaces, means for producing circulation of oil over said surfaces, a heated coil for heating said oil, means intermediate the means for producing circulation and the heated coil for introducing adsorption addition agent into the circulating oil, means for withdrawing dissociated carbon and sediment from the vaporizing chamber, a dephlegmator in open communication with the vaporizer, said dephlegmator having a series of separated communicating progressively cooler zones, and suitable means for the withdrawal of products separately from any one of said zones,

and means for creating a vacuum in the dephlegmator and vaporlzing chamber, the oil and adsorptive agent being repeatedly circulated from the lower portion of the vaporizing chamber over the uppermost evaporation plate where it passes by gravity down over the other plates and back to the body of oil in the lower portion ofthe chamber.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of August, 1928.

HOMER T. DARLINGTON. 

